Code Geass: Dependency
by Bumblebee373
Summary: The familiarity was uncanny, I had seen this person before, his features too similar to be coincidence. As he turned to me and spoke in his monotonous voice the words, "I'm Lelouch", I was still attempting to grasp our original encounter. "Melanie." I answered back feigning a smile, all hesitation hidden. I needed to know our first encounter. If only I knew then what I know now.
1. Prologue

Code Geass: Dependency

"Welcome to Area 11 International Airport, we hope you enjoy your stay!" The pilot exclaimed (very loudly) over the speaker phone. "Once former Japan is now under the control of Britannia and renamed Area 11. If you see an Eleven whilst wondering around, be sure to keep clear of them as they seem to have a slight temper." There was a murmur from the crowd, "The local time at Area 11 is 11:30am, please make your way out of the plane and into the airport. Have a nice day!" The speaker phone was silent. People all around me started ruffling their bags, preparing to depart the plane.

From what I have read on Jap- Area 11, everyone is viewed by their race. If you're an Eleven, you're looked down upon and degraded by the Britannians, and the Elevens view the Britannians as thieves who have ruthless and uncaring natures. I have, however in my time found many Britannians who simply want peace. I have never met an Eleven and am very intrigued by their perceptions of life and other cultures. To me, a human is a human no matter what race they were born in to. Just because you were born in to a culture that's ruthless, it doesn't mean you have to be ruthless yourself. Everyone has a choice in life, no matter who they are. And who am I? Well, let's save that for a little later.

After a misunderstanding over the number of different luggage compartments on the plane, and a few uncomfortable stares from passers-by, I managed to locate my bag and hop off the plane. The twelve-hour plane trip from Australia to Area 11 left me with a substantial amount of time to ponder on life, and most importantly; sleep, leaving me with the urge to never sit again. The map that I had used located my destination as a mere few kilometers away from the airport, so my hope to walk seemed reasonable. Time passed as I attempted to find the conveyer belt and grab my suitcase, which seemed a large amount heavier than I remembered. That, or I had been weakened from the long trip. With my suitcase dragging across the floor and my carry-on bag in my left hand, I was finding myself very fatigued, which was ironic since I had been asleep for most of the flight. This trip was becomingly harder than I originally anticipated. I consider myself physically fit, my only weakness must be long plane trips. But hey, when you are moving to a new country and therefore have to take all your belongings with you, I don't think even bodybuilders would find it easy to carry all of your luggage. As I walked past a television screen, the latest news report caught my eye. As they introduced the rising vigilante, I paused.

"Accused murderer of Prince Clovis, Suzaku Kururugi has been cleared of all charges due to the infamous and highly dangerous Zero. Zero confessed on live television in front of millions of viewers that he was the culprit for the tragedy that befell our Prince. We have no lead on who Zero's identity, or his whereabouts, but we know that due to this incident. If you notice a disturbance in our peaceful land and believe there may be links to the masked Zero, please call-" I stopped watching and continued on my way. As one does when moving to a new country, I began reading about all the terrorist groups and dangers of Area 11. Throughout the many stories about Elevens who attacked innocent civilians, I had been accustomed to the latest terrorist-group leader, Zero. The new infamous villain and hero who saved a comrade and overwhelmed Lord Jeremiah to the point of insanity. Something about 'Orange' made him completely turn on his fellow soldiers. Honestly, I feel bad for him considering the circumstances. The dirt Zero must have acquired needed to be of high importance for the poor soul to destroy his career, and dignity along with it. To me, however, Zero was someone who I looked up to, who had the courage and skill to finally give the Elevens hope. Although I believe killing Prince Clovis was probably not the best action to make his name know, he was still challenging the Emperor, that wretched bastard who destroyed the world.

**Author's Note:  
>So writing this story during the middle of the night probably wasn't the best idea, and I was quite a substantial amount less experienced in the art of writing stories (and especially publishing them online), but right now I am just trying to make excuses for my embarrassing work. But there is something about this story which leaves me wanting to salvage it. I shall begin by trying to edit the already made chapters, and continue with the story. So, here's to laughing at old work and the attempt to make amends. ;)<strong>


	2. The Helpless, Hopeless and Unexpected

As I departed the airport, I began walking east. I knew my exact route and destination, but to be safe, I memorized the six shortest possible routes to take to arrive at my destination. I looked out towards the city of Area 11. I had seen many images online of what this majestic city looked like but the real thing outweighed all my expectations. The giant solar panels reaching across the river, grasping the sky. The enormous buildings disappearing in the clouds and the luminous flowers leading my way. Cherry blossoms, those dainty pink flowers enveloped a smile upon my face. As I continued on my journey, I eventually came the most famous place in Area 11 at the time being. The site where the incident starring Zero occurred. The section of the road was cut off because the police were attempting to locate any evidence supporting the identity of Zero. Already prepared for this delay, I continued on my way through the city, on the alternate route I mapped to pass through the minor setback. I would need to go past the Shinjuku Ghetto, which I was prepared for. The new hope for Elevens would almost guarantee there may be some conflict arising. However, it was the only way I could be on time, so I had to risk the possibility. I began walking again, the way to the Ghetto.

Time was never my friend, especially on this particular day, but I finally reached the Ghetto. An overwhelming amount of Elevens had placed flowers and pictures near the Shrine as a memorial. All the lives lost... for what? For defending their friends? Protecting their country? The Elevens were simply wanting to live and the Britannians keep stealing their rights.

"Hey, look at all the Elevens that have died this week! God, why can't they just all die?" Two guys around 20 were laughing and pointing at the shrine. They took that comment as a meaningless joke. Didn't they realize they were talking about the lives of men and women? No. To them Elevens weren't people, they were disgraces to the human race. But the more profoundly I stared, the more I made up my mind. I wasn't going to let them get away with that. Dropping my suitcase and bag, I approached them.

"Just who do you think you are? Laughing about people dying like that. Would you like someone laughing if you died? The Elevens are human beings, just like you!" The guy turned to look at me, nostrils flaring with anger.

"Well, Little Miss," he spat out every syllable, "don't ever compare me to those lowlives again! They are worthless rodents that need to be put," he turned his head to his friend standing next to him, obviously trying to make a very depressing and hopeless joke, "back in their cage!" He said and they both laughed. His sly look was making me sick. My knowledge of his intentions let me with the satisfaction of counter-attacking his move, however, attacking them single handedly would not only leave me outnumbered, but would not make a good first impression with Britannians. Maybe I should take advantage of his short and slightly overweight friend. From the way the other guy was looking at him, he seemed to associate his friend merely as a pawn rather than. Either way, I decided I would have a chance. There seemed to be no one else around, so I weighed my chances of defeating both of them. Within an instant, I leaned in closer and slapped the cruel-hearted offender's henchman in the face, satisfaction and adrenaline racing through my veins. Surprise encompassed his face...along with fury. He turned to his friend.

"John, why don't you put the Little Miss back in her place?" He said with slight agitation. Just as I expected, his pawn was the first to move. The thing with a pawn is, when all else fails they can become your queen. So when you loose your last pawn and only defender- I lifted my foot and kicked him in the face, watching as he fell to the floor in a heap -your king is left defenseless. A trickle of blood ran down his face, and I turned back to the man whose joke landed his friend on the floor, the king. He momentarily paused, showing his fear. I had him cornered, checkmate. Then he smiled his sly smile and took out a gun. I froze and started backing away.

"What? Are you scared Little Miss?" He spat on the ground.

"It is illegal to carry a gun, you know that right?" I asked, but he kept on smiling.

"Britannia has bigger things to worry about rather that one mangily gun." He laughed. I didn't know people could be this heartless, maybe I just choose to ignore them. I kept backing away, my eyes flickered to him loading his gun.

"Look, enough blood has been shed already, do you really want to do this?" My attempt at peace was weak. By myself, with no protection, I was helpless. No one is immortal, no one is Superman, no one can withstand a gun at point blank. He thought I was mistaken, he thought he had _me _in checkmate.

But I was never mistaken.

My smile reflected his. Since I was little, I had learnt to twist the rules for ways that were beneficial for me, just not actually legal, and being the daughter of a well-renown doctor has a few perks. I had created a non detectable, memory eraser gun which I used in dire need - oh yes, I was that badass.

I had backed up enough now to reach my bags. I was just about to lean down and grab my gun, ending the man's chances. He wouldn't even have time to shoot before he would be passed out on the floor. I made a wimpy cry as I pretended to trip over my bag and fall. Then, whilst helping myself up, I reached in to my bag and grabbed my gun, ready to shoot.

Suddenly someone jumped up behind the man, kicked the gun out of his hand and pinning him to the ground.

"How dare you point a gun at an innocent woman! Don't you have any dignity?" He yelled at the man, who mumbled something about dirty Elevens which I was barely audible, but perhaps the stranger did since he shoved the man's head in to the ground - hard.

"Say sorry to her! Under no circumstances should you point a gun at a woman, so say sorry!" He exclaimed as the man turned his head towards me.

"I'm s...sorry." He said. Immediately, the stranger picked up the man's gun and let him go. He ran like there was no tomorrow. The stranger turned to me. My eyes froze on his appearance. He was around 17, the same age as me, with brunette hair and emerald green eyes. He was obviously an Eleven, but was oddly familiar. Which was strange considering I had never met an Eleven before. My face reflected my momentary realization as I knew who he was. Suzaku Kururugi, the accused murderer of Prince Clovis. However, right now he didn't look anything like a murderer.

"Are you alright?" He asked with a concerned look. I suppose it wouldn't be appropriate to say that I was fine before he came, so I simply smiled.

"Thank-you for saving me. That was a really kind gesture and I appreciate it." I walked towards him. "My name is Melanie Voltaire." I smiled.

"Suzaku Kururugi." he said back. "So, are you going on a holiday or...?" I realized he was referring to my luggage.

"Oh, no. Actually I have just moved to Area 11. I arrived only an hour ago."

"Really, then why are you wondering around Shinjuku Ghetto? Did you loose someone in the incident?"

"No, I have no family here." I said. In all honesty I did loose a few family members here, but that was a long time ago. "As a matter of fact, once I put my luggage in my dorm, I am hoping to explore this city a little more. Thank-you again for your help." I said with a polite smile while grabbing my bags. Once again realizing how heavy my suitcase was. Suzaku saw the expression on my face when I picked it up.

"Do you want me to help you with that? It looks quite heavy." He asked and I couldn't help but smile. He was so... chivalrous. He walked up to me again and took my suitcase off of my hands and began walking beside me.

"So, what brings you out here to Area 11?" he asked curiously.

"Do you want the long story or the short?"

"I think we have time." He exclaimed.

"I grew up in Australia with my father, I never knew my mother. Life was good until Britannia invaded. Even though I am Britannian, it was still hard to see the natives be discarded. The main cities were turned into homes for the Brits, so my father and I decided to move into the outback. We were on the run from everyone, by ourselves doing whatever we wanted. We knew we were too fast for anyone to catch us. Then, when I was 12, my dad got sick. It was a rough 6 months, and eventually he died. Then I was by myself in the outback. Last year I decided to apply for a scholarship, to try get in to a school. I got a job as a waitress and raised some money. Funny enough I got a scholarship for a school in Area 11. I am supposed to start tomorrow." I realized I was babbling, so I decided to cut it short.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked." He said and I could tell that he was feeling responsible for asking the question. However, I still failed to understand why I was proclaiming my life story to someone who I met a mere ten minutes ago.

"It's ok, I haven't actually talked to anyone in a while so its good to have company. So enough about me, what about you? Did you really murder Prince Clovis?" I asked with a mocking tone. His momentary fearful expression turned to a smile as he realized my intention was only a mere joke.

"You know you could get in a lot of trouble if you joke about that." He said whilst laughing.

"Yet that Britannian could laugh about the Elevens that just died in the Shinjuku incident? I hardly call that fair." I exclaimed, letting out my serious side.

"Yes, but he was the Prince." He exclaimed. To be honest he was right, the Prince was ranked higher than all the Elevens put together.

"He was still merely a human being, just like all of us. No matter what family or race he was born in to." I said, hoping for him to see my understanding of the situation. He considered that for a moment.

"That is right... but in the future out of respect, or even the sake of your own life, don't mock the Prince's death. If an Eleven said that they would be dead in a heartbeat."

"So I can't have an opinion? I have always believed that you shouldn't hide your beliefs. Anyway, after telling my whole life story, I guess you could tell me something about yourself."

"Well, I am what you call an Honorary Britannian. Which means that even though I am not actually Britannian, I get more rights then a normal Eleven."

"So basically you sold out you heritage for a longer name and a few extra stickers?"

"What...? Oh, no its more than that. I didn't give up my heritage. I just...I feel like there is no point in trying to stop evil by being evil yourself. I feel that there are other ways to achieve the same goals... just and right ways. That is why I became an Honorary Britannian, not because I am ashamed of my heritage." He stopped short like he was going to tell me something else.

"You know for someone who had no trouble fighting off an armed man, you really do have a soft side. That's a good thing, don't ever forget that. If you ever do destroy this 'evil', I want to be the first to know, so I can congratulate you. You're very wise for your age, you know that? Most people worry about school and relationships, but you... you are trying to heal the world. I admire you for that." We kept walking in silence for a minute, it seemed Suzaku intensely thinking. "Enough with the seriousness, tell me, what's it like using a Knightmare?" He smiled.

"One of the best feelings you can ever feel. You feel... free."

"Well, not too free I hope, those things could seriously injure someone." I stopped. "Here we are... the infamous Ashford Academy!"

"I thought this was the school you were going to... I've heard it's a great school."

"What school do you go to?"

"I don't. It's hard for an Eleven to go to school, especially one like this." He said.

"Just because you were born an Eleven, you are not allowed to go to school?" Being here as of an hour and a half, you could literally smell the racism coming off the people. The stares Suzaku was getting while we were walking to the Academy, the way the Britannians stuck their noses in the air like they were all-too-good for everyone else. "This prejudice thing has gone on long enough. One day I will make Britannia pay for what it has done to the world!" Suzaku stared at me for a moment. I was starting to feel awkward.

"What?" I asked and he stopped staring at me.

"Nothing...you, just remind of someone that I used to know." He said with a soft voice.

"Right...anyway, its getting late. School will be over for the day soon and I'd rather not turn up when everyone else is hanging around outside. Thank-you so much for your help. Never forget your goal, it's a really good inspiration for others. One day we will probably both die because of our goals and beliefs but..." I heard him try not to laugh.

"Here you go." He said and handed me my suitcase.

"Maybe you could show me around the city sometime? Like, properly when I haven't go a 50kg suitcase with me?" I asked.

"I look forward to it." He smiled and walked off.

I turned my head back to the school. I was in awe over how amazing it was. This prestigious school really was for the rich. The double-story buildings surrounded all the way around by a thick luscious layer of green grass...kinda like Suzaku's eyes- which I wasn't thinking of. Anyway, the school looked like it was made for royalty. Behind me I heard an engine running and quickly turned around. On a motorcycle with a side carriage, two boys around my age were driving out of the school. One with sharp blue hair and the other black. Ditching? Probably, but I wasn't going to stop them. First impressions would decide the next two years of my life. Besides, they will eventually get caught anyway. I started walking towards the gate. My nerves returning to me. What happens if I become a friendless social loser? What happens if they laugh at me because of my race? Stop, I am better than this. I've lived in some pretty tough places before, on the run from my past and the Britannians. I could handle making friends... couldn't I?

***Author's Note:**

**Here is the first official chapter for my story. Being the first chapter, I had to put it in Melanie's point of view. I tried to balance both the action, and the introduction to the new character in a way that wasn't boring. Melanie to me seems to be a character everyone can relate to in a way. Please review and tell me of any improvements or suggestions on making the story a little better. I am working on the next chapter right now and I have decided to put it from Shirley's point of view. Yes, she can get a little annoying but that is just who she is. This will most likely be the only chapter from Shirley's point of view, so I have tried to fit all of Shirley's... Shirley-ness in to it. The reason I have done this is because there is only one sound episode that really gets in to Shirley's head and I feel that maybe I could make her character a little deeper (maybe a secret here and there) so that she doesn't seem so two-dimensional. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!**

**Reedited 2-10-2012**

**Comment on Author's Note:**

**Did I really write like that? Well, I've tried my best to edit it. BTW, I would appreciate it if you would PLEASE comment, thanks. ;)**


	3. Jealousy

"Shirley, come with me to welcome the new student. We need someone with a bubbly personality like yours." Milly exclaimed while grabbing my arm and dragging me out of class.

"S... sure!" I said like I actually had a say in it. I've always loved when Milly pulls me out of class for things like this, but she never used my bubbly personality as the reason. Milly wants my bubbly personality? Who is the new student? Is it an amazing guy that Milly is trying to set me up with? If thats so, why would she set me up with him if she knows I like Lelou? Does she think my feelings for Lelou are too strong or does she actually like Lelou herself? Wait... if that's the case then does Lelou like her back? Maybe Lelou likes me and Milly is just jealous? Or maybe they are already going out? What about Kallen? I thought Lelou and Kallen were going out, or is Lelou dating two girls? What happens if he has hundreds of girlfriends and just doesn't tell anyone?

"SHIRLEY!" I stopped thinking and looked at Milly.

"W... what?" I stuttered bringing myself back to reality. I need to stop overreacting, I'll give myself a stress wrinkles.

"Stop thinking about Lelouch and pay attention. I said her name is Melanie Voltaire." Milly explained. Her? So the new students a girl? Then that rules out everything from before.

"Wait... how did you know I was thinking about Lelou?" I asked.

"Because you _always_ think about Lelou." Milly exclaimed putting a huge emphasis on always. I guess she is right though, I always am thinking about Lelou, but I can't help it! His beautiful black hair, his monotonous expression, his- _ehem!_ Milly coughed to try bring me back.

"Since the topic is up, do you think he likes me?" I asked. Milly sighed. Why did she sigh? Doesn't she think he likes me?

"We're here!" She exclaimed and started opening the door. I guess she's right though, Lelou would never like someone like me. I mean with his perfect features, those beautiful- I stopped, frozen and stared at the sight in front of me. This girl could give any girl in this school a run for her money, even Madame President. She had beautiful dark brown hair and these luminescent purple eyes, as deep as Lelou's but with a hint of blue. She was tall, skinny, slightly tanned and absolutely gorgeous. Who could compete with her. All the guys will be after her in a second. What happens if Lelou likes her as well? Theres no doubt that he'll think she's pretty.

"Uh... hi!" The girl- Melanie said nervously. Shirley, stop being jealous! Be nice, Milly brought me here because of my bubbly personality so stop it!

"Hi! I'm Shirley and this is Milly or Madame President as you will most likely call her. We're here to show you around the school and to get you started." I said with as much fake enthusiasm as I could. Of course usually I was a very nice, kind person but if someone is going to threaten Lelou's and my relationship, then I will do whatever it takes to get him back.

"Follow me!" Milly exclaimed and so the tour began. First we were going to show her the dorms. I looked at the sheet Milly had given me. Melanie was going to be staying in- I looked down the sheet until I found it -room 1057. Wait...that was my room! Does this mean one of my roommates is leaving? Is there something wrong with me? Do I snore in my sleep? Was there a complaint from Sophie? Or was it Alice? I just know that I have done something wrong! We took a left down to my dorm and stopped.

"Looks like we will be roomies!" I exclaimed and I saw her smile. She had a beautiful smile. Argh! This is not fair, I have no chance of Lelou liking me with her around. She's too good to be in a school like this, she should be a model or part of the royal family. We walked in to my room. I saw that Alice's things had been packed away. Was she moving? Why wouldn't she tell me that? The room itself was clean and tidy, the way it normally was. Sophie was a total clean freak meaning that there couldn't be a spot of dirt anywhere. It was good to have a room as clean as this for when others saw it, but the hassle of cleaning it every morning made me very agitated.

"You can put your stuff on this bed," I pointed to Alice's old bed, "it seems Alice is leaving." I explained, then looked to Milly with a questioning face.

"What? Oh, didn't I tell you? She's moving to the homeland to stay with her mother. She's leaving right after class." She stated with a smirk, obviously finding my cluelessness amusing. Why wouldn't Alice tell me goodbye? Maybe she meant to see me after class. Melanie gracefully placed her bags down on her new bed.

"So are all the rooms this clean?" She asked, I couldn't tell if it was meant as a compliment or an insult.

"Sophie, our other roommate, doesn't like to have things messy, so everything has to be as clean as possible. However, she has many after school activities and doesn't come back until very late. I used to have Alice, but..." I said not finishing my sentence so I didn't sound rude.

"That's alright, I'm sure we'll work things out." She said like she was completely ignoring my (almost) insult. Was that deliberate? Milly laughed her twisted laugh all of a sudden.

"What?" I asked completely astounded by her capacity to make any situation awkward and confusing.

"I can tell you guys are going to be great friends. Maybe if you wanted you could join the student council? It would be a great way to help you to make new friends?" Milly blurted out. No! This isn't good. Now Melanie will be spending even more time near Lelou, more chance of them getting to know each other. How could I get Milly to change her mind?

"Actually, I think we already have enough people in the student council. I mean, with Kallen just joining (or coming back), we have more that enough places being filled." I said in the politest voice I could muster.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we can find her something to do. It's always good to have extra people helping out. What do you say Melanie?" Milly asked in her normally happy voice.

"Sure, I'd love to!" Melanie exclaimed with enthusiasm. She momentarily seemed much happier than before.

"Shirley, why don't you help Melanie unpack? After that you can meet us at the student council room and we'll introduce her to everyone else. I'm sure the guys will like to meet you." She began walking off, with a sly look on her face. Gosh Madame President was like an old perverted man. I turned back to Melanie. She seemed so shy at the moment, nothing like Milly or me. Maybe she would become close friends with Nina? Or possibly become close friends with all the guys? I just know they are going to try and get close to her. She seems like the type that everyone likes.

"Do you want me to help you unpack your things?" I asked Melanie with a smile. Being cheerful was how I dealt with the world, how I dealt with all of the problems. From a young age I had learnt to smile whenever possible. Therefore no one will ask me questions I don't want to answer.

"Sure," she unzipped her suitcase and opened it up, "that would be lovely. Now...where can I put all of my clothes?" She asked while picking up a pile of clothes.

"Just over there, in those draws. They were Alice's before she left, so I think it would be safe to put your things in there." Immediately, I grabbed a pile of her clothes and helped her to put them away. She smiled with gratitude while doing the same thing.

It took us about half an hour to unpack all of Melanie's things. During this time she told me about herself. She told me all about her life in Australia and her experiences. Which then led to my history and I told her about how my family moved to Area 11 because of my father's job. We talked the entire time and she seemed very sweet. It turns out that she was not a snob and someone I could easily talk to. I had totally misjudged her just by her appearance. It wasn't usually like me to judge people like that, but she just seemed too perfect.

Time passed, and we began walking to the student council room where she was going to meet all the others, including Lelou. I gave her a brief description of the places we passed on the way there, but with a school as complicated as Ashford Academy, it would be hard to show her every aspect of the school that we passed. We were now walking in silence as we reached the end of the hallway. I thought this would be the best time to apologize for before.

"Melanie, I'm sorry for misjudging you." I said, glad to finally be able to say those words to her. She looked at me oddly for a moment, probably wondering how to react. What happens if she hates me because of this? Could she take it the wrong way and never talk to me again? What happens if she gets so mad at me that she goes after Lelou just to get me back? What happens if-

"Thank-you, Shirley. It really means a lot to me to have met someone like you today. I do hope that in time we can become good friends." She said with a smile. I was dumbfounded. After all that had happened she still liked me. I had shown a side of myself I had never shown before. Jealousy is a bad trait to have, but she simply pretended that I hadn't done anything wrong. I looked up and realized we had made it to the student council room. The door opened and we walked in.

"Hey guys!" I said and everyone in the room looked up. Immediately, their faces went to Melanie. I even noticed Lelou looked at her. His face was filled with curiosity. A face that he never usually showed. I turned to Melanie, who was looking at Lelou the same way he was looking at her. My fear was coming true. Lelou and Melanie were already developing feelings for each other. No, this is not possible. They only just met. _Ehem! _I said clearing my throat hoping to stop the staring.

"This is Melanie. She is our newest member of the student council." I exclaimed. Everyone was frozenand I could see Rivalz mouth drop for a second. This silence was becoming very awkward. Lelou was still looking at her as well and it was most definitely starting to get on my nerves. Milly decided at that moment to make her appearance known and walked to stand beside Melanie.

"Now I think you all need to stop staring and making her feel uncomfortable. Lelouch, I've never seen you stare at someone like that before. Do you want to get to know her or kill her? Come on everybody, you may want to introduce yourself. Otherwise I'll tell her myself. Melanie, this is Armpit," she said as she pointed to Rivalz, "and that's-

"Actually my name is Rivalz. Don't listen to anything Prez tells you. It's nice to meet you." Rivalz said and stood up to stand next to Melanie.

"I... I'm N... Nina." Nina spoke in her shy, quiet voice.

"Lelouch Lamprouge." Lelouch introduced himself almost without thinking, which was very strange for him. He seemed mesmerized by Melanie, like he had seen her before.

"Kallen, nice to meet you." Kallen spoke in a soft, placid voice. I always felt sorry for Kallen, being so sick and fragile. Being so weak all the time must be rather annoying. Melanie smiled. She seemed to always be smiling.

"It's nice to meet you all." Melanie exclaimed cheerfully. I could tell she was feeling quite strange simply standing there waiting for something to happen. I remembered my first day at Ashford Academy. It was quite a while ago but I still remember the nerves I felt walking in to my first classroom.

_"Shirley, is it?" The blonde girl in front of me asked. She was one year older that me but she looked as if she was 18. At the moment I was thirteen and hadn't really 'grown up' _**_that_** _way at all._

_"Yes, Shirley Fenette." I said with a nervous smile. The school was so big that it overwhelmed me. How would I ever be able to work out where my classes were?_

_"Milly Ashford, but you will probably call me Madame President. I am the president of the student council." She spoke in a proud voice. Wasn't she still in middle school? Maybe the system is slightly different from the homeland. Behind me, two boys walked by. I turned around to look at them_

_"Ah, Shirley this is Rivalz and that's Lelouch." She said while pointing to the two boys. They looked the same age as me, one with blue hair and the other with black. I looked at the boy on the left. He had the most amazing violet eyes. Anyone would agree that he was gorgeous. However, the expression he showed on his face was of a person who was very depressed. I wondered why he was so depressed. Maybe he had lost someone he had loved, like a family member. Or maybe he was naturally like that. To me he seemed like a mystery and I was most definitely intrigued by him. They both said hello to me before going off to their classes. Had they been ditching? Why would they be ditching? Were they doing something illegal?_

_"Shirley?" I jumped and stared back at Milly- Madame President, my train of thought lost._

_"Come on, I'll show you around the school." Milly smiled and grabbed my hand, amused by my absent-mindedness._

I was glad to have at least made one friend at this new school, it made me feel more comfortable with moving, even if it was Madame President who showed me around. It felt more safe having someone you know, though she scared me a little. I take it this is how Melanie was feeling right now.

"I saw you two leaving school when I arrived." She said as she pointed to Lelouch and Rivalz. Milly laughed.

"Gambling, they ditched school to go gambling." She said happily. Why does Milly laugh about this matter? They shouldn't be gambling at all.

"Lelou! You went out gambling again! How many times do I have to tell you that it's illegal?" I said infuriated again. One of these days they're going to get caught.

"Gambling _and _ditching? You guys are a bunch of rebels aren't you?" Melanie said with the smile that never left her face. Every time I saw her smile it didn't look genuine, like she was putting on an act. Maybe I was being paranoid. However, she seemed all right with them ditching. Maybe it was because she was new and didn't want not get involved. Hopefully, she does understand the 'illegal-ness' of their behaviour.

"Shirley, would you be able to go help put out these flyers? I'm sure Lelouch would like to help you." Milly said whilst winking at me. I knew Lelouch wouldn't get a say in this no matter what happened and by the look on his face (which only slightly changed from his normal expression) he wasn't too happy about the idea.

"I would love to, but I have swim practice in ten minutes so..." I said sadly. How I would love to go put up flyers with Lelouch, but swim practice comes first.

"Ok then...how about Melanie? Would you like to go help put up flyers? It will give you a chance to become more comfortable with the layout of the school. Lelouch will be able to help you out." Milly said before dumping the flyers on Melanie hands and walking out of the room.

"Uh...um..." Melanie looked down at the flyer now in her hand. Rivalz laughed.

"That's Prez for you!" He said laughing, a little too hard. One day he will tell Milly how he feels, but I'm not sure how she will feel about him, I don't think she has ever shown any interest in him. But that could be her way of showing she like him, playing hard to get. Lelouch got up and grabbed half the flyers off Melanie. Their eyes met for a second and I felt my hands clench in anger.

"Here, I'll show you where these go." Lelouch said in his monotonous tone that he used for everything. Melanie followed him out the door. There was nothing more I could do but simply hope that he didn't like her.

***Author's Note**

**Here is the end of the second chapter. I think Shirley's jealousy was getting the best of her. Not much action in this chapter because I want everyone to get to know Melanie, but action will come back in to it. The next chapter will go back to Melanie. I'm thinking of putting every second chapter from Melanie's POV. I thought there needed to be a few weeks between episode 5 and 6 because having 2 new students (plus one student that has only started coming back to school due to her 'illness') coming to Ashford Academy in the space of a few days would be kind of strange. So yes, this chapter and the next will be 'fillers'. Hope you liked this chapter. I am looking forward to the next. Please review so I know someone is reading this.**

**Reedited 10-2-2012**


	4. Flyers, Chess and Zero

"It's Lelouch, right?" I asked as we walked down the hallway. Milly was making us put up some flyers around the school. I don't know why she was making me help, but I didn't mind. It gave me something to do. Now I could avoid the engulfment of question I would be asked as a new student. I don't like answering questions about me, if anything I despise it. There's not much that I like to tell about my life to random strangers, or random students at a school. So I don't answer them, simply because I find it annoying and an invasion of privacy.

"Yes that's right." He said sternly, no change in his expression. Does he ever smile? Lelouch... he seems so familiar. The name, the hair, the eyes... almost like I had seen him before, but where? In Australia? It must have been, because I hadn't been anywhere else. I glanced at him for one more second. Yes, I had definitely seen him before.

"Have you always lived in Area 11?" Lelouch asked me. Why was he interested in my past? Maybe he's just trying to make small talk. He doesn't seem like the type to make small talk though, he seems like the type that prefers silence. Does he recognize me from somewhere?

"What? Oh, no I arrived in Area 11 today." I answered. Maybe I had seen him in a photo somewhere? I may possibly have to look that up when I get back to my dorm. He looks so familiar... wouldn't I remember a face like that?

"So did you live in the homeland before this?" He asked me. Did he always ask this many questions? He and Shirley definitely would make a good couple, they both are curious about everything.

"No, I have lived in Australia all my life. What about you? Have you lived in Area 11 all your life?" I asked him. His facial expression changed, the first time I had ever seen his face change.

"I came here from the homeland a very long time ago. My parents died and so we now live at Ashford Academy." He exclaimed with a look of stress on his face. Stress is a feeling, so he isn't a robot.

"We?" I asked him. He was becoming more reluctant to answering questions.

"My sister Nunnally and I. I'm sure you'll meet her soon enough." He told me before stopping to put up a flyer. "If we can just cover this building with flyers then I think it would be alright." He said still in his monotonous voice. As handsome as he was, he really did make you feel depressed. Couldn't he smile for once?

After a little while we had finished covering the building with flyers. I finished much faster than Lelouch, he seemed to tire quickly. I walked back to him and helped him finish the ones he hadn't already done.

"Thank-you." He said politely. His face back to normal - expressionless.

"Do you always wear that bored expression? Don't you get tired of it?" I asked him, trying to be nice. He laughed for a second, then returned to his normal look.

"I just... don't think there is a reason to smile, it's not that I am bored as such." He said, almost painfully.

"Is there a reason to frown? One simple smile could lighten another persons day, but a frown does nothing." I said. He considered my thoughts for a moment.

"I guess you're right." He said a little too quickly. Maybe there was another reason he doesn't smile. I thought I should probably change the subject.

"So... you gamble? What do you play? Is it poker?" I asked. He laughed, still not actually smiling though.

"No, I play chess. The Nobel's are way too full of themselves, so will bet ridiculous prices." He exclaimed.

"Chess? You know, I was a great chess player back in Australia. That was how I won all my money." I smiled.

"You think you could beat me?" He asked raising his eyebrow. I laughed.

"Would you like to put money on that?"

"I wouldn't want to take your money." He took the last poster and put it on. "There's a chess board in the student council room, if you think you can beat me." He said and started walking he way to the council room. A good game of chess might relieve some of my nerves from starting a new school, I hadn't played in a few weeks.

"I'm always up for it." I exclaimed.

It took us a while, but we eventually reached the student council room. Lelouch started setting up the chess board while Milly and Rivalz were warning me about playing Lelouch. Supposedly he was some sort of chess genius who hadn't lost a game, ever. Truth be told though, neither had I and I had played quite a few 'chess geniuses' before. My father taught me at a young age the art of chess. He told me I was a natural, beating him only a few weeks after he taught me how to play. I had never been the one for patience though, so I tried to make my games as quick as possible, my record being three minutes.

We sat down to play, an overzealous Lelouch insisted on being black. The reason behind this? I had no idea. The game started and within a minute I could already tell I had underestimated my opponent. The way he strategized and thought out his moves were uncanny, however I was also doing the same thing. The game started to pick up heat and I could tell by the look on Lelouch's usually expressionless face that he was feeling the same way I was, like this was the toughest player he had ever faced. When he attacked, I counter attacked. Then my offense was captured by his defense. I realized this game was not going anywhere soon...

"No way!" Rivalz exclaimed, with a shocked voice. I was concentrating too hard to look over. "It has been three hours and you guys are still playing the one game! How is that even possible? I have never met someone who was able to make Lelouch stay this long for a single game." He exclaimed. I heard Milly walk in behind him laughing, as always.

"I am actually quite depressed now." I exclaimed with a sigh. Lelouch didn't look up or move his head in the slightest.

"Why is that?" He asked in his monotonous tone, I was sensing a little fear in his voice though.

"This would have been a great game to bet money on, I mean you are the best player I have ever versed and it would have made it much more fun."

"I know! If Melanie wins, she has to take Rivalz on a date and if Lelouch wins, he has to take me on a date." Milly said in an excited voice. I heard Rivalz question the idea. What? Was I not good enough to go on a date with him?

"Well, I'm game if you are?" I asked Lelouch, still not looking up.

"Sure, why not?" He answered. Great, now this would be much more fun. I moved another piece forward. Lelouch moved his king.

"Is there a reason you move your kings so often?" I asked him and I heard Rivalz laugh quickly behind me.

"If the king doesn't lead, how does he expect his subordinates to follow?" Lelouch said like he was not saying it for the first time. This game was actually quite fun, I couldn't decipher who was actually going to win. One minute I was convinced I was going to win, and the next I was worrying Lelouch would win. Usually I was able to easily distinguish the winner from the loser, but never had I ever played someone this good.

This has never happened to me before. Never in all my years of playing chess had this ever occurred. Three hours and a half hours full of hard work and thinking all for... _this. _

"You play really well, no wonder you win all of the games you play gambling." I said for the first time actually taking my eyes off the board. How did this happen? I am simply astounded.

"So do you. I haven't had such a hard game in a long time. You have great skill." He said, also finally taking his eyes off the board. Everyone in the student council room walked in the, including Shirley who had finished her swimming training. They glanced at the board hoping to see the winner. Rivalz looked confused, almost worried.

"Wait, does that mean..." He asked, bewildered.

"Yes, it does." Lelouch said in his usual voice.

"Three hours of play... and it was" Rivalz continued.

"Yes, it was a stalemate." I said, trying not to sound frustrated. All this time, I would rather Lelouch had one then a stalemate.

"Wait, that means it was a tie?" Shirley asked, obviously not playing chess very often, if at all.

"A tie... this means the bet's off. Darn it! This was going to be fun." Milly sighed exasperated. I couldn't blame her, if felt the same way. Not about the bet, but just the fact that it was a stalemate.

"Well that's depressing." Rivalz said while leaving the room. Milly followed afterwards, but Shirley stayed. Probably to make sure nothing happened between Lelouch and I. I could smell the jealousy on her. Usually she is super nice, but I can tell she has seriously deep feelings for Lelouch. I stood up, feeling my legs ache as I did. Three hours sitting in one position does not do wonders for you legs. Lelouch started collecting the pieces and I folded the board.

"I'd ask to play another game of chess sometime so we can decipher a winner, but I am not sure I want to spend another three and a half hours playing." I said.

"My games usually only last about ten minutes." Lelouch exclaimed, obviously agreeing with me. I looked outside and noticed that the sun was fully gone. I had spent my first day playing a game of chess, great.

"Thanks for the game." I said to Lelouch before walking to Shirley. We started walking to our dorm.

"How was it even possible to tie with Lelouch?" Shirley asked me. I laughed.

"I am actually quite shocked that we tied." I put my hand in my pocket, only to realize I had left my phone in the student council room.

"Shirley, can you wait here for a sec. I left my phone in the student council room." I said.

"I'll come with you." Shirley exclaimed.

"Nah, I'll be back in a moment." I said and ran off back to the student council. I reached the door when I realized that Lelouch was on the phone inside the student council room. I wasn't sure whether I should walk in or if that would be rude. Maybe I should...

"... is Zero. Q-1, some more knightmare frames are now at our last meeting place. Take them and be ready." Lelouch said on the phone. Zero? Does he know Zero? Who _is _Zero? Lelouch was actually using expression in his voice. Was Lelouch tied to the Shinjuku incident? Or was he just obsessed with him? Q-1, who was Q-1? I heard Lelouch's footsteps coming close to walking out the door. I ran back quite a few meters and then started running forwards again. Lelouch walked out and saw me running in to the student council room, barely within earshot of any possible conversation he could have had. I smiled at him when I ran passed him.

"Left my phone." I exclaimed before running in to the student council room. I grabbed my phone and walked out. Lelouch had already turned the corner. Good, the chances of his suspecting something will only be about 12% now. Although considering his chess skills, his deductive reasoning must be very high. I met Shirley and we walked to our dorm together, with a smile on my face. Whatever was up with Lelouch, I would find out.

It took me a few weeks, but eventually I started to fit in. When I arrived for my first class everyone seemed nice to me and accepted me. I seemed to be very popular. People came up to me all the time asking about my life. The first day was enjoyable and fun, but eventually the attention became tiring. All the attention was getting to my head... and it was giving me a headache. Back in Australia, I didn't have any friends, or any one who knew me for that matter. Every now and then I would go in to town and have a game of chess. This would give me enough money to buy food for a couple of weeks. I couldn't go to school like everyone else, because by that point I was living on my own. If it was known that I was living on my own I would have been sent to a foster home. However, I saved up all my money and had bought a hidden microphone, that one night I set up in the classroom so no one could see it. Everyday the I sat outside with headphones on and would listen to what the teacher taught, watching what she did on the board through a window. Never, in all my life had I been one of the 'popular' people, as they were called. In fact, I was never anything because I had never enrolled in a school before. I found it very discomforting to have everything I do watched and talked about, kind of like a celebrity.

My friendship with Shirley became much stronger, to the point that I could definitely say she was my best friend. She was the only one- or one of the only ones -who understood my discomfort about the new found fame. She helped me to get through the crowds and find my way. I was very thankful to her for that. We talked all the time about her life, school, homework and of course 'Lelou' as she called him. She had an almighty crush on him, that much was obvious, but only after she exclaimed it to me did I realize just how deep that crush was. We both got along really well and talked to each other all the time, she is as of now my best friend.

I met Lelouch's little sister, Nunnally who was the most adorable girl I had ever met. She had soft brunette hair and the most petite figure. She talked with the sweetest voice and had the kindest nature. It was no wonder Lelouch doted on her. The way he treated her was amazing. Only with her would he change his expression and smile, like a whole different person. Both of them, however seemed so familiar. I needed to work out what, in fact I _was _ going to work that out. I had fifteen theories as to who they were, who they could be. Three of them were highly possible, but the others were almost made up fantasy.

In total, I had 12 guys ask me out and 24 girls ask me to be their best friend... in the first week. I lost track after that. Some of them were really sweet, asking me politely which I kindly declined. However, on this one occasion a guy was starting to get quite physical. Never had I ever been abused and I wasn't going to be by him, so I beat him up, in one second flat! So much for the captain of the boxing team. I had to drag him to the side to make it look like an accident. Thankfully, no one was looking. A teacher came by later and found him, he said he tripped, obviously scare of what I might say to the teacher about why I beat him up.

I never talked to Lelouch again, other than about the homework. He was very reserved and quiet for the most part. I also started to get to know Kallen. It turns out her condition has no cure, meaning she will always be this fragile. However, I saw her swat a fly with her bare hands with ease. Maybe she simply had a stroke of strength, maybe adrenaline? I met my other dorm-mate, Sophie. She seemed a little too friendly if you ask me, but maybe that is just her personality. She was quieter than Shirley, or me for that matter. Shirley got along quite well with her. In the few weeks I have been here, I have learnt a few facts about Britannians. One, some of them hate the elevens. Two, some of them fear the elevens. Three, if you mention the elevens everyone stops and stares at you like you just said the worst word possible. Simply, the elevens are hated by everyone in this school, as far as I can see. Even though we are in their homeland, they are still looked down upon. However, that was going to change. One day, I will change the world, for the better.

***Author's Note**

**Here is Chapter 3! I will now start episode 6, Suzaku will come to Ashford Academy. The last two chapters for me were not the best, but I promise there will be more action to come. The next chapter is in Suzaku's point of view, which I thought would be fun. Sorry it took so long to post, but I have become a lot busier lately. The next chapter should be up in a week or two.**


	5. Elevens

_An eleven! What happens if her tries to kill us? How could they have let this happen? I heard it was a request. Why would they degrade us like this? I think he's staring at me. Wait until my father hears about this... _I knew this was the reaction I would get. Why would she talk me in to this? I am going to be feared and resented by everyone.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" I turned to face the teacher; even she had a weary face about her. I would never be accepted.

"My name is Suzaku Kururugi." I exclaimed like I would back in the army, but it sounded slightly shaky. Then I saw him, almost at the back of the room... it was Lelouch. So he survived after all. That was a relief.

"Why don't you go take a seat?" The teacher asked me. I scanned the room for vacant seats. Where do I sit? I hadn't attended school in a long time. Eventually I found a seat somewhat near the back. Everyone was still staring at me, whispering about me or fearing me. I knew it would be tough to attend a Britannian school, but it was still harder than I thought. Eventually I found an empty seat and sat down. From this angle I couldn't see Lelouch's face anymore. It couldn't have been him... could it? He did say he was going to attend a school before he left with Nunnally… Nunnally! I hadn't seen her in such a long time. My best friend was sitting right behind me, and I couldn't even talk to him. I looked at the teacher. She was rummaging around her desk looking for something.

"It seems I have misplaced my book, must have left it in the staff room. Class, talk amongst yourselves while I go and find it." She said and left the room. Everyone gathered around desks and grouped up with their friends. Whispers about my involvement in Clovis's murder were spreading around the class. I looked through my bag. I left my pen! No, no no! This will just make me look even worse. Suddenly, I saw a person walk past me and towards the door. I could tell who it was by his raven coloured hair. He barely gave me any eye contact, but he lifted his left hand towards his collar and tugged slightly on it. I knew immediately what that was. I had done it for a good deal of my life. I was astonished that he would still do something like that, after all this time. So after three minutes, like it had always been, I stood up and walked out of the room.

Sure enough Lelouch was standing there, leaning off the balcony. I started walking over to him and he turned to face me.

"Seven years since we used the signal"-he tugged at his collar again- "long time, huh?" Lelouch asked me with a slight smile on his face.

"Meeting on the roof like the old days?" I answered and walked next to and leaned on the balcony as well.

"Yeah." He answered, without much expression.

"I'm glad you're ok, I've been worried."

"Alive and kicking, thanks to you. You almost died, trying to protect me." His face turned much more serious.

"I was just returning the favour, from seven years ago." I replied, tried to lighten the mood. Lelouch sighed. That was a horrible event; I thought I was going to die. However, the clock I had saved me from any mortal wounds. Leaving Lelouch and that girl...

"Wait, what happened to the girl from the capsule?" They lied to me, saying it was a chemical bomb. In fact, it was a girl in a straight jacket. What possible humane reason would be behind this? No, there was no possible reason. You wouldn't lock a girl in a straight jacket so you can be nice to her. Did the Britannians get her back? Or was she... dead?

"I don't really know we got separated during the fray. But you would know more about her than I do, right?" Lelouch asked, slightly shocked.

"No, the only ones who knew anything were the inner circle of the Royal Guard." I answered.

"I see..."

"Anyway, your name. Do I still call you Lelouch?" I asked, he couldn't possibly have kept the same.

"The records count my identity among the dead. I go by the name Lelouch Lamprouge now." He explained.

"Oh." I answered.

"And you? What happened at your court marshal? And why did you enroll at this school?" Lelouch asked me. I was surprised that I was free to go, even with the help of Euphie. However, with Zero owning up to Clovis' murder there was no solid evidence against me anymore.

"I'm surprised as you are! What are the odds that we would end up at the same school? Truth is, someone arranged for me to receive a proper investigation and that person said that a seventeen year old should be in school." I explained.

"We should be getting back now, or people will start to become suspicious." Lelouch said before starting to walk back in.

I waited a while before walking back in, so it didn't look as if we were together. I went and sat down at my desk, the class started only a minute after I walked back in. She started talking about the history of Britannia. This was something I was familiar with. To get in to the army I had to take a test on Britannia's history. I knew most of what was already being talked about. It seemed like...

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so late, I overslept and..." The girl looked at Shirley. "No one woke me up." She explained. I realized immediately who she was. Melanie Voltaire, or just Mel as she had corrected me. I met her a few weeks ago and took her to this school. I didn't think she would be in the same class as me! Mel turned and looked at me.

"Suzaku?" She asked, actually stated. She smiled at me. People all around me started whispering. _Melanie? The most popular girl in school? How could she be friends with a low-life like him? _I chose to ignore them. Truth is I wasn't sure if we were friends. I mean, I walked her to the school, but I never saw her again. She seemed nice, but with so many people would she just pretend she didn't know me?

"Oh... it seems you have met our new classmate before. Well, I'll make you a deal. If you show Suzaku around school, I won't punish you for this little incident." The teacher said before going to write on the whiteboard in front of her. Mel smiled.

"Thank-you!" Melanie said before walking down the classroom to find a seat. There were no seats left, so what was she going to do? She grabbed a chair and placed it in between a red haired girl and me. She was leaning close to the red haired girl, however. They were obviously going to share a desk. Eventually, the class ended and I started heading for the door.

"Suzaku!" I heard someone say behind me. I turned around. Melanie was standing there with her red haired friend. Behind her was another boy with blue hair.

"You remember me, right?" Mel asked me. Was that a rhetorical question?

"Yes..." I answered, not exactly sure what I was supposed to say.

"Just checking." She turned to her red haired friend. "This is Shirley Fenette, and this is RIvalz Cardemonte." She said, pointing to the people to the side of her.

"Hello." I answered.

"You know you don't have to be so formal?" The blue haired boy - Rivalz stated.

"Rivalz, don't be so rude!" Shirley snapped at him. Was this what people my age were like?

"So do you want me to show you around the school?" Melanie asked me. Her smile was so friendly, it was nice to have someone that wasn't scared of me - other than Lelouch.

"Sure!" I exclaimed. Melanie started walking down the hall.

Melanie had been showing me around the school all afternoon, and she seemed quite tired. I asked her if we should sit for a while, so we found a bench to sit on.

"So how are you liking the school?" Melanie asked me, after a slight pause.

"It's... different." I answered, not sure how exactly I should answer that. I had met again with Lelouch, and I wasn't completely friendless. Melanie had been so nice to me today, even though everyone was staring at her with strange looks. Obviously not expecting her to be hanging around an Eleven.

"Thank-you." I said.

"For what?" Melanie asked, did she really not know?

"For today... I saw how everyone was staring at you because you were hanging around me." I answered. She smiled.

"Haters gonna hate, and I didn't really mind. Ever since I came to this school I have had so much attention. I know that sounds really conceded, but it's true. I am actually quite happy that people are finally leaving me alone. So, I think I should be thanking you." She said happily.

"So... you don't really mind that I am an Eleven?"

"I believe that you are a human being, you deserve at least a name, not a number. So no, I don't mind at all that you're _Japanese._"

"You know people will tell you off for saying that?" I told her. She laughed.

"Haven't we had this conversation before? When I get in trouble you can be the one to say 'I told you so', deal?" She asked, I laughed.

"Deal!"

In the end I actually had a great day. Melanie showed me around the entire school and tried to help me to fit in. It didn't make much of a difference, however. I had never really understood what happened before and after school, now I did. There was much more to school than just learning. You needed to know people, make friends, which I thought was actually quite fun. Meanie said goodbye to me, and a short while later I bumped in to Lelouch. He invited me over for dinner, saying I could catch up with Nunnally as well. So I met with Lelouch and Nunnally that night before I went back to the University across the road. Nunnally was very happy to see me. Her smile was priceless. She couldn't stop talking all night. Even Lelouch was in a great mood. We all had a great time - like the older days. Lelouch was still the same as he was back then, strong-minded, intelligent beyond compare. However Nunnally had changed so much. She was so little and cute. Now you could see she had grown up, and was very beautiful. After dinner Lelouch asked me if we could do this again. However, to protect their secret I knew I couldn't spend much time with them. It would look too strange - an Honorary Britannian hanging around with Lelouch. I told him that it wasn't a very good idea, that even though I had such a great time it was too dangerous. For both of them.

I started walking through the school. I had to get to the other side before I could leave. It was a quiet night and therefore quite relaxing. I smiled. I had been dreading today, thinking I would become one of those loners that don't have any friends. I was clearly mistaken.

"Hey, you!" Someone said behind me. I turned around. A tall, muscular guy was walking over to me. Behind me I heard someone laugh. I turned around and saw another muscular guy behind me. Were they about to beat me up? The both kept walking closer to me. I decided to bolt to the left. However, as I ran I saw another shape form out of the dark shadows. Three on one? I take it they weren't going to fight fair. I turned to the right, but could see that they were too close to me for me to run. Should I fight back? No, if I do then people will be even more scared of me. Beating up Britannians on my first day. One of them took a swing at my face, I ducked and instinctually grabbed his arm. I let go in a second after I realized what I had done. I couldn't hurt a Britannia, no matter how hotheaded they were. The one behind me took another punch. I dodged it again with ease. They all then tried to attack me at the same time. One of the guys pushed me in to the other and I felt the pain in my eye. I fell to the floor. I couldn't hurt them... but maybe if I acted like a wimp, they might leave me alone. It was my best option right now.

"What do you think you're doing?" Someone yelled from behind the four of us. They started laughing, then they turned to see who it was. I could see the expression on one of the guy's face. He looked... scared, worried. To me the voice sounded like a teenage girl... almost like.

"Please! Don't tell!" One of the boys said pleadingly. Why had he all of a sudden gotten so scared?

"Just let him go!' She said, I knew who it was...

"Sure!" Then I felt the hand holding my shoulder release. Then the one on my head. No one was holding me anymore. The boys had let go of me and started running.

"Last time we met you were a lot stronger than this, or did you just not want to feel like the bad guy?" Melanie said behind me. I got up and turned to face her.

"I guess I didn't want to..." I started.

"It's alright, I understand." She said cheerfully. I could feel wetness on my forehead. That was when I realized I was bleeding. I wiped my forehead with my hand.

"So why were they so scared of you?" I asked, curious.

"Let's just say I didn't have the same ethics as you." She answered. Enough said. Obviously she was quite strong.

"Why are you out here any way?"

"I sometimes go out for midnight walks. They help me... think clearly. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Anyway... I've got to go, need to do the homework I was given today." I said. Lloyd and Cecile were going to kill me. Staying out so late and abusing the newfound freedom I had been given.

"Ok then, bye!" Melanie said warily, still not convinced I was fully functional. She walked in the other direction and I left the school grounds in no time at all. Before I knew it I was walking in on a busy looking Cecile and a bored Lloyd.

"I'm home!" I said, as Cecile had instructed me to. She thought 'Suzaku Kururugi, present and waiting' was too formal. Cecile looked up from her work. As soon as she saw me her face was horror-stricken.

"What happened to you?" She said and jumped out of her seat with a first aid kit as fast as possible.

"Don't be such a worry wart! My first day was even worse. However, they were all just jealous over my good looks." Lloyd said, obviously happy for something to have happened that was semi-interesting. Cecile was wiping the blood off my forehead. After a while Cecile had cleaned me up as best she could and I went to my room to sleep. I had most definitely had a long day...

***Author's Note: Suzaku finally comes to school. It took me a while to finish this chapter, but here it is! Next one will be based on episode 6, the end of it. So, Enjoy!**


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